Spring suspension.



H. FORD.

SPRING SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED ooms, 1911.

1,044,038, Patented Nov. 12,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. FORD.

' SPRING SUSPENSION.

APPLIOATION FILED oozms, 1911.

Patnted N 0V. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY FORD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.`

SPRING SUSPENSION.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HENRY Foru, a citizen ofthe United States of America, resid-` ing at Detroit, in the county oflVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spring Suspension, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In automobile construction it is desirable that the chassis or framewhich carries the driving mechanism be yieldingly supported on the axlesin such manner that the load is distributed on or carried to the bearingwheels as directly as possible and at the same time the frame be allowedthe necessary range of motion relative to the axles to travel readilyover irregular road surfaces.

This invention relates to spring suspension for vehicles and moreespecially to an arrangement thereof whereby a frame is supportedyieldingly by a pair of axles in Such a manner that the latter may tiltas necessary while the load is conveyed in substantially a direct lineto the bearing Wheels.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with aspring suspension that embodies features of the invention, the centralportion of the frame being broken away; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation ofthe rear axle and spring support for `the frame; and Fig. 3 is a view inelevation of the front axle and spring support for the frame.

The general construction of the frame and the axles is shown in apending application for automobile construction Serial No.

508,779, filed July 21, 1909 of which this is Specicaton of LettersPatent.

Original application led July 21, 1909, Serial No. 508,779.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912. Divided and this application ined october' 13,

Serial N o. 654,435. y

journaled. A rectangular 4frame ,is formed of side members 9l held inspaced relation 'by a transverse rear member 10 and a similarly disposedforward member 11. The rear member 10, which is preferably of channelshape with ,its flanges 12 downturned, is arched to clear theenlargement 2 or housing of the rear axle 1 and to receive the crown ofa leaf spring 13 above the axle l whose extremities are hooked ontoshackles 14 that depend-from hangers 15 extending inwardly from thecollars 1. Or if the construction, requires` it, the collars mayobviously be omit-ted and the hangers 15 spring directly from the armsof the rear axle. r1`he crown of the spring is, secured in positionbetweenthe vflanges 12 of the member 10 in any preferrednmanner as forexample, by suitably arrangedY clips 16 and a bolt 17. Thelangesjprevent the tilting of the spring laterally while the 'suspensionof the shackles 1st between the hangers 15 is such that endwiseextension or, longitudinal swinging of the spring is checked by thehangers 15 which act as stops. The forward transverse member 11 ispreferably bent downwardly with its depending flanges 18 embracing thecrown of a leaf spring 19 that is supported at its ends by shackles 20suspended from hangers 21 mounted in any preferred manner on the axle Gand adapted to act as stops to limit endwise play of the spring 19.Clips 22 and a bolt 23 or other preferred fastening means secure thespring 19 in position. By this `arrangement of parts the load imposed onthe frame is carried almost directly to the bearing wheels so that thestrain on the axles is minimized. Free angular movement in verticalplanes is afforded the axles relative to the frame while oscillation ofthe frame in lateral directions is checked by the spring hangers.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention andI do not care to limitmyself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

What I claim is 1. In an automobile. an axle, a frame above the axle, atransverse member in the frame parallel to the axle bent to form aspring seat integral with the member between th'e ends thereof and aspring articulated at its ends to the axle and rigidly Asecured at itscrown to said seat.

2. In an automobile, an axle, a frame over the axle, a transverse memberin the frame parallel to the axle bent between its ends t0 form a springseat, a spring articulated at its ends to the axle, and means rigidlysecuring the crown of the spring to the seat of the transverse member.

3. In an automobile, an axle, a frame over the axle, a transverse memberin the frame parallel to the axle having depending marginal flanges, anda spring articulated at its ends to the axle and rigidly secured at itscrown to the transverse member between the t flanges thereof, the memberbeing bent bemember on the frame over each axle bent bememb tween itsends to form a spring seat, and

"a spring over each axle articulated at its ends to the end portions ofthe axle and rigidly secured at its center to a transverse 6. In anautomobile, a front axle, a rear axle, a pair of hangers on each axle, atransverse memberon the frame over each axle bent between its ends toform a spring seat, shackles swinging from the hangers, and springs eachsecured at its middle portion to a transverse member and suspended atits ends by the shackles between the hangers.

7. In an automobile, a front axle, a rear axle, a frame thereover,transverse members on the frame each formed with depending flanges andbent between its ends to form a spring seat, a pair of hangers on eachaxle, shackles depending from the hangers, and springs each securedbetween its ends to a transverse member between the flanges thereon andsuspended by the shackles bet-Ween the hangers.

' 8.` In an automobile, an axle, a frame thereover, a transverse memberwith depend? ing anges that is bent between its ends to form a springseat, hangers extending upwardly from the extremities of the axle,shackles depending from the hangers, and a leaf spring bent upwardlybetween its ends to conform to the seat in the transverse member betweenthe flanges thereof and suspended at its ends by the shackles betweenthe spring hangers.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY FORD.

Witnesses:

OTTO F. BARTHEL, C.l R. STIC-KNEY.

